


Hang On To Yourself (No Good'll Come From Being Untrue)

by tabbytabbytabby



Series: Prompts [13]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Cuddling & Snuggling, Deputy Derek Hale, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Good Theo Raeken, Happy Derek Hale, Hurt Theo Raeken, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Living Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Massage, Protective Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 05:59:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Theo's resigned to his life of unemployment and living out of his truck when a run in with Derek Hale changes things. From there he ends up with a friend, a home, a job, and maybe a little bit more than he ever could have expected.





	Hang On To Yourself (No Good'll Come From Being Untrue)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nerdo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdo/gifts).



> This is for Nerdo who sent the prompts: “Who gave you that black eye?” and “I’ll give you a massage.” from [this list](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/post/172128055553/drabble-list) of prompts.  
> Hope you like it! ♥
> 
> Title is from Hang On tTo The Night by Tegan and Sara

When Theo comes back from hell he’s in a bad place. He’s essentially homeless and his nightmares are far too frequent. He does his best to push past it, which is pretty easy with all the supernatural bullshit Beacon Hills is always having to deal with.

It’s not until things start settling down after the war with the hunters and the Anuk-It that Theo’s past starts coming back to haunt him. The nightmares become more frequent with nothing to keep him distracted. He tries to get a job so he can get enough money to get an apartment and stop sleeping in his truck, except no place will hire him. Some people at least try to look apologetic while others just sneer at him.

Theo’s beginning to wonder if he’s just doomed to be homeless and sneak food from various houses of the pack, or just give up and leave town. He wonders if he’s allowed to do that. Would the pack even let him? Surely they can’t expect him to stay someplace where he’s clearly not welcome.

Theo is leaving a restaurant downtown after yet another failed job interview when he runs into Derek. Derek’s arms are full of reusable shopping bags. He smiles when he sees Theo standing outside the restaurant, “Hello Theo.”

“Derek,” Theo says, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

It’s weird having someone give him such an easy smile but Derek always does, and he never looks at him with judgement in his eyes. In fact, his looks are often filled with an understanding Theo doesn’t quite grasp.

Derek’s smiles falls slightly when he stops in front of him, his eyes carefully scanning Theo’s face. Theo knows he must see the bags there under his eyes but he doesn’t say anything. “I went a little overboard at the market,” Derek says, holding up his bags.

One starts to slip from his arms and Theo rushes forward to take it from him, looking from the bag to Derek with a wry smile, “I can see that.”

Derek starts walking, talking as he goes, giving Theo no choice but to follow, “For a long time I didn’t really have a place to stay, not a permanent one at least. Certainly not one where I was able to keep food around. Now that I do I sometimes wind up with more than I need. A lot of it winds up going to the pack. I guess I feel like I should keep them fed.”

Theo isn’t sure why Derek is telling him all this, but he gets it. He can’t remember the last time he slept in a bed let alone had a fridge or place to keep food. He knows that if he actually had a home and a fridge and place to cook he’d probably go a little overboard as well. He thinks about all the food he would buy and warm meals he would eat and scowls to himself. That’s never going to happen. Not here in this place.

“Theo?”

Derek’s voice brings him back to the present. Theo looks around and realizes they’ve stopped next to Theo’s truck. Theo frowns. He was sure they were walking towards Derek’s car but he can’t see it anywhere on the street.

“Where’s your car?” Theo asks him.

Derek’s lips tilt up into a smile, “I was just telling you that I left it at home and ran here, not expecting to get so much food. Were you even listening?”

Theo ducks his head to hide the way his face heats up but he knows Derek must smell the embarrassment on him. He hates it. He used to be so good at hiding his emotions but lately it’s seemed impossible. Especially around Derek.

“So I guess that means you want a ride?”

“If you don’t mind,” Derek says, “I can understand if you don’t want to drive that far.”

“No it’s fine,” Theo sighs. He really doesn’t have the gas to be driving all over the place but he’d feel bad leaving Derek here with all these groceries and no way home. And since when does he care about something like that? Derek isn’t his problem. Hell, he’s the one that ran here knowing he was going to the store. But Derek has always been good to him. He treats him like a person rather than an enemy. The last thing Theo needs to do is alienate the one sort of friend he has.

“You can repay me with lunch,” Theo finds himself saying.

Derek grins, putting his bags in the backseat when Theo unlocks his truck. “Well I do have plenty of food.”

Once they’re both in the truck Theo glances over at Derek, “Do you have anything with carbs? Or is it all healthy and green?”

Derek rolls his eyes, “You do know that vegetables have carbs right?”

Theo grins, eyes moving from Derek to the road as he starts the car and takes off down the street, “Yeah but not the good kind,” he points a finger over at him, sensing what Derek is going to say before the Alpha can even open his mouth, “and I don’t mean good as in healthy for you. I mean good as in taste.”

“Vegetables can taste good too Theo,” Derek says.

“Oh yeah? Then prove it.”

“I will,” Derek says, laughter in his voice, “I won’t stop until you love vegetables.”

“You’re in for a long game then Derek Hale,” Theo tells him.

“Well good thing I’m up for the challenge,” Derek says.

Theo glances over at him, the look on his face giving him pause. His tone is light but the way he’s looking at Theo shows how serious he is. Derek is talking about a lot more than making Theo like vegetables. Theo just isn’t sure what.

 

Theo has to admit that the steamed carrots Derek makes aren’t terrible. He puts just enough seasoning on them to make them edible. Derek looks a little offended at this. Apparently his food being edible wasn’t what he was hoping for.

“I’m going to get you to come around,” Derek tells him, “you’ll see.”

“You seem to take me liking vegetables very seriously,” Theo says.

Derek gives him a long look, “I think we both know this is about more than you liking vegetables.”

Theo leans back in his chair and crosses his arms, “Then what is it about? What do you want from me Derek?”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Derek says, mirroring Theo’s movements, “It’s more of what I can offer you.”

“And what is that?”

“A home. A place to sleep. Warm meals on the table. A place where you can feel safe.”

Theo narrows his eyes, “And why would you do that? What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing,” Derek says, “except some peace of mind that you’re somewhere safe. That’s you’re actually sleeping and eating enough.”

“But _why_?” Theo asks, “Why does it matter to you?”

“Because I know you Theo,” Derek says, “I know you. I can see how hard you’re trying to keep up this act and pretend that nothing phases you but we both know that isn’t true. You care and you care deeply.”

Theo lets out a bitter laugh, “Yeah. And what has that gotten me? I live in my truck, I can’t even get a job because no place will hire me, and the pack barely tolerates me. They just keep me around because at least then they can keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t go on some murderous rampage.”

“That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it? I just don’t see how me caring does any good,” Theo mutters, “I try so hard. I know I’ve done horrible things and I’m not trying to make excuses for any of it. I’m just trying to be better but every time I make any progress someone has to come and knock me down.”

“They’ll come around,” Derek says, “They will. When I first came back into town no one trusted me. I never gave them any reason to. But eventually that changed. It took time but we’re on pretty good terms now.”

“Yeah but you didn’t actually kill anyone or try and rip apart their pack,” Theo says.

“No,” Derek says, “but I made mistakes. Ones I’m not proud of. Because of that people got hurt and even killed. We are not our mistakes. People grow and they change and it’s obvious that you’re doing that. I might not have known you back then but I have to believe the person that’s sitting here across from me is not that guy that came into town power hungry and not caring who he hurt to get what he wanted.”

“I’m not,” Theo says, his voice quiet, “I haven’t been for a while. Being sent to Hell and having to live in that constant nightmare did something to me. I came back different. At first I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.”

“Now?”

“Now I think it probably is for the best,” Theo says, “even if people still doubt me and see me as the person I was before, I know I’m not. Usually. Sometimes I still have moments where I wonder if they’re right to be wary of me.”

“But you know that’s not true,” Derek says, “that just because someone sees you a certain way doesn’t mean that that’s necessarily who you are.”

“Yeah I know,” Theo sighs, “I’m my own person and all of that.”

“You can joke all you want, but it’s true. I know it’s easier said than done to get past the way people perceive you but you can do it. I know you can. And I’ll be here to help you, if you’ll let me.”

“Why help me?” Theo asks, “I still don’t understand that part.”

“Can’t I just want to do something nice for a friend?”

“We’re friends?” Theo asks, then winces, “Sorry. I just… I’m not used to people wanting to do nice things without expecting something in return.”

“All I want in return is for you to find a way to be happy Theo,” Derek tells him, “And I’m helping you because we _are_ friends, and I care what happens to you Theo. So please, let me do this.”

Part of Theo wants to argue and tell Derek to back off, but the bigger part is desperate for him to accept. The possibility of having a home, someplace to sleep, food to eat, and someone who cares for him and considers him a friend is too good to pass up.

“Okay,” Theo says, “I’ll stay.”

 

It’s surprisingly easy living with Derek. Derek is more than happy to give Theo his space but still makes sure to include Theo in things and make him feel like he belongs. Theo expects the pack to put up a fight about the whole thing but they take it pretty well. Even Stiles. He just looks between Derek and Theo and shakes his head muttering, “I should have known.”

He’s confused when Derek blushes but doesn’t get a chance to question it before Liam is pulling him into a conversation.

“You know you could have always stayed with me,” Liam tells him, “Mom is going to be so upset when she finds out you were sleeping in your truck. You should have said something.”

“I didn’t…” Theo stops himself before he can say he didn’t think anyone would care, “I didn’t think it would matter.”

“Of course it matters,” Liam says, “you’re pack. You know that right?”

Theo looks around the room, watching the way the pack interacts with each other. His eyes find Derek across the room, the Alpha already watching them. He gives Theo a tentative smile and Theo can’t help but smile back, “Yeah Liam, I know.”

 

A few days after he moves in Derek comes to him telling him he got him a job. Theo is feeling pretty confused. He’s talked to almost every business in the area and been turned down. He doesn’t know where Derek could possibly have gotten him a job at. He’s even more confused when Derek puts him in the car and drives him to the Sheriff’s station.

“Are you having me arrested?”

“No,” Derek says, shutting the door as they get out of the car, “Why? Have you done something recently that you should be arrested for?”

“Of course not,” Theo says, “I just don’t see why we’re at the Sheriff’s station. I thought you said you got me a job.”

“I did,” Derek says as the pair walk towards the door, “Here at the station. I talked to John and he said he had something you could do.”

“I can’t say it pays all the much,” John says, walking up to join them by the desk. He gives Derek a smile and shakes his hand, “Derek. Good to see you. Glad you could make it in on your day off.”

“John.”

John turns to Theo, “So Derek tells me you’re looking for a job.”

Theo nods, “Yes sir.”

“I can’t promise you’ll be doing more than shuffling papers and getting coffee,” John tells him, “and the pay isn’t all that great. But if you’re interested the job is yours.”

“Just like that?”

John shrugs, “Sure kid. Derek vouched for you. Hell even Stiles said that I should give you a chance.”

“He did?” Theo asks, surprised.

“He did,” John says, “Apparently he’s seen some changes in you. To be honest, I have too. So I’m willing to give you a chance.”

“Thank you,” Theo says, having to force the words out past the lump that’s formed in his throat. It’s one thing for Derek to vouch for him but for Stiles to is something else entirely. It means a lot more than he could ever say.

“No need to thank me,” John says, “You might want to take it back once you start working. Which you can do tomorrow morning if you’re feeling up for it.”

“No tomorrow’s great!”

“Great,” John says, “then I’ll see the two of you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

He walks off without another word, leaving Theo and Derek standing there. Theo turns to Derek as they make their way back out to the car, “The two of us?”

“Yes,” Derek says, glancing in his direction, “I got it to where we’re working the same shifts. I figured it might be easier if we drove together. That’s okay, right?”

It’s more than okay. The two fall into a sort of routine over the next few months. They wake up, eat breakfast together, and then go to work. Derek often stops for coffee at the local cafe down the street from the station and gets them, the Sheriff, and the deputies on duty coffee and breakfast.

Working at the station isn’t as boring as the Sheriff led him to believe it would be. Sure, he does a lot of paperwork, but once he gets used to it and sets up a system he gets through it pretty fast. When he’s not working on that John lets him in on any of the supernatural cases he might be working. He also spends a lot of time with Derek and Parrish, mostly just talking when they’re not out on a call.

The most surprising change comes in the form of Stiles. He comes back to Beacon Hills over his summer break and winds up spending quite a bit of time at the station when he’s not with Lydia. Theo is confused the first time Stiles walks in and jumps up on the counter in front of his desk and just starts talking. When John comes in a while later and tells Stiles he needs to stop distracting Theo from working Stiles just gives Theo a sunny wave and tells him he’ll talk to him later.

“Did he hit his head or something?” Theo asks, drawing John’s attention to him.

“I don’t think so,” John says, “but with Stiles there’s not telling. Why?”

“He was just being really nice to me,” Theo says, watching as Stiles jumps up into his jeep and takes off out of the parking lot. “He hates me so I guess I’m just confused.”

“Son he doesn’t hate you,” John tells him leaning against the counter, “I know you two had your issues, and with good reason. But he’s moved past that. We all have. Anyone with eyes and that pays the least bit of attention can see that you’ve changed. Stiles included. But you can thank Derek for that. He was a big part in helping him come around.”

“He was?”

“He was. He had a long talk with Stiles, explaining to him that you’re different than the person he knew. Scott, Melissa, and Liam helped as well, and so did I. But I think the biggest factor was you.”

“Me?” Theo asks, “How?”

“Stiles has always been able to read people pretty well and tell if their intentions are good or not,” John tells him, “Before you got sent to Hell he didn’t trust you at all and for good reason. He said you’re different now, more like the boy he knew before. Whatever it is he sees, it makes him feel like he can trust you again. Which we both know is huge. Stiles’ trust isn’t given all that easily.”

Theo does know this. He hadn’t been expecting Stiles to come around if he’s being honest. The fact that he has means a lot. As does the fact that the Sheriff apparently vouched for him.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me kid,” John says, pushing off of the counter, “just keep doing your job and being a decent person, and taking care of Derek. He’s lucky to have you in his corner.”

Theo shakes his head in disbelief, “I’m the lucky one sir.”

“You kids,” John sighs, patting him on the shoulder as he walks by. “You’ll figure it out.”

Theo is left there feeling confused, wondering what it is he’s supposed to figure out. Then Derek is walking into the room and grinning at him and the thought leaves his mind.

“Want to grab some lunch?” Derek asks, leaning his arms on the counter and grinning down at him.

“Yes please,” Theo says jumping up from his seat, “I’m starving.”

He turns his back to Derek, searching for his phone, frowning when he notices it on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. He bends over to retrieve it, standing abruptly when he hears a sharp intake of breath. He glances over to see Derek looking towards the doors, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

“You ready?” He asks, stepping out around the desk.

Derek nods and clears his throat, “Yeah, let’s go.”

The next few months are much the same. Derek and Theo spend a lot of time together, both at work and at home. The two become closer than ever before. Theo would even consider Derek his best friend. Never mind the fact that part of him wants more. He tries to ignore that part. He has Derek as his friend, he’s lucky to have that. He doesn’t want to push it.

Theo is so wrapped up in his thoughts about Derek that he misses the sound of footsteps behind him. He’s in public, leaving the grocery store. It’s expected that there would be people around. It’s not until he’s passing an alley that he suspects that something is amiss.

Then there’s a hand shooting out and dragging him into the alley and slamming him into the wall. Theo barely has time to react before a fist is connecting to his face. It stings more than he expected, especially coming from a human.

“How’s that feel?” The man hisses, “I was told wolfsbane would give it an extra kick.”

Theo growls. So he knows about the supernatural and he’s willingly picking a fight with a chimera? He’s definitely an idiot, even if he’s not alone. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Theo warns.

“Oh we know exactly who you are, murder chimera,” another man says, this one taller and with short blond hair, “We also know you’re living with Derek Hale. We don’t like that.”

“That’s none of your damn business,” Theo tells them.

“It is,” a red haired woman says, “We know Derek. He’s the last of the Hales in Beacon Hills apart from his crazy uncle. He needs someone to look after him.”

“Derek is more than capable of looking after himself,” Theo says, “And I am no threat to him.”

The first man snorts, aiming a hard punch to Theo’s gut, “Like we’d believe you. We know all about you Theo Raeken. And we’re not about to let you worm your way close to Derek and destroy him like you’ve destroyed so many others.”

Theo sighs, leaning his head against the cool brick wall behind him. There’s another punch thrown at his stomach but he ignores it. He’s used to the pain by now. It’s not until he’s thrown onto the ground and one of the men is stomping on his back that something in Theo snaps. He’s been trying to behave, to be good but that shouldn’t mean let himself get stomped on. He lets his shift take over and looks up at the people with glowing yellow eyes.

The blond man sucks in a breath and takes a step back, “So it is true.”

“Yeah,” Theo grits out, getting to his feet, “It’s true. And you’re about to see just what sort of monster you were messing with assholes.”

Theo stumbles home about an hour later. It would have been sooner but he’d made himself go back to the store and replace the groceries he’d lost in the fight. He wouldn’t have bothered but Derek had been talking about how much he wishes he had his favorite butter pecan ice cream and Theo didn’t want to disappoint him.

Derek’s on the couch watching TV when Theo walks in. Theo can feel his eyes on him as he makes his way into the kitchen and starts putting the groceries away. He listens as Derek gets to his feet and softly pads into the kitchen. He doesn’t turn to face him, not yet. He knows Derek will want to talk about what happened and he needs all the groceries away first. It’s more to prepare himself that anything else.

Finally Theo is done and he walks over until he’s standing in front of Derek, “Hey Der.”

“Who gave you that black eye?” Derek asks, his hand coming up to take Theo’s cheek and move his face so that he can examine the eye.

“No one,” Theo mutters. He’s not proud of how he got it. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Derek says, “if someone is hurting or threatening you…”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” Derek asks, crossing his arms and looking at Theo expectantly.

Theo realizes Derek isn’t about to let this go. He can be stubborn when he wants to be, especially when it’s about something he deems important. Somehow Theo has become one of the things Derek considers important.

“It’s…” Theo takes a deep breath and averts his eyes, “I got into a fight, okay?”

“A fight?” Derek says, confusion laced in his voice, “With who?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Theo sighs, “it happened. It’s over now.”

“It does matter,” Derek growls, his grip on Theo’s chin tightening, forcing Theo to meet his gaze, “Who hit you?”

“It wasn’t one specific person,” Theo says, jerking out of Derek’s hold and balling his hands up into fists, “I got cornered coming out of the store, okay? Apparently people don’t like the murder chimera living with one of the last remaining Hale’s. They think I’m going to murder you in your sleep or something.”

“ _Who?_ ” Derek asks, his voice firm. “Who did this to you?”

“I didn’t know them,” Theo says, and he’s not lying. The bastards had come out of nowhere and cornered him. Their mistake. They’d come out of it worse than he did, “They seemed to know you though. But like I said, it doesn't matter. I took care of it. They just surprised me.”

“But you’re not healing,” Derek says, taking Theo’s chin into his hand again. He moves his other hand up to the bruised eye and pulls it away immediately, frowning down at his hand, “Wolfsbane?”

“Yeah,” Theo mutters, “Apparently the fuckers coated their hands in it. They knew exactly what they were doing.”

Derek’s eyes narrow and his grip on Theo tightens as his eyes flash red. Theo can’t remember the last time he saw him this angry. He doesn’t think he ever has.

“You’re mad,” Theo says, eyes wide as he stares at Derek, “I screwed this up.”

“What?” Derek asks, brow furrowing, “Oh for Christ’s sake Theo. I’m not mad _at_ _you_. I’m mad at the assholes that did this to you. That thought it was okay to touch you, to _hurt_ _you_ , and think they would get away with it.”

“They didn’t get away with it,” Theo tells him, bringing his hand up to rest on top of Derek’s, “I’m a big boy Derek, I can handle myself.”

“I know that,” Derek sighs, resting his forehead against Theo’s, “but you shouldn’t have to.”

Theo doesn’t say anything. He’s not sure what he can say. Derek isn’t wrong, but Theo is used to it. He knows saying that would just upset Derek more so he keeps his mouth shut. He tries not to tense when Derek’s arms wind around him and pull him into a hug. By now he’s used to Derek’s easy affection, the constant small touches he’ll give Theo and other members of the pack.

Apparently that was something new. Theo remembers the surprised look Scott had on his face the first time Derek had hugged him. It had quickly morphed into a pleased grin as he welcomed Derek and Theo into the house. What was weirder was that Scott had then hugged Theo and thanked him. Theo still has no idea what Scott had been thanking him for.

So the touching isn’t something uncommon between them. It’s just that Theo forgot to mention the assholes that jumped him had also gotten a few kicks into his back and stomach making the tight hug just a little bit painful. He tries to ignore it, not wanting to draw attention to it. Derek’s finally calmed down, the last thing he needs to do is make him angry again.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Derek asks, his breath fanning across the skin of Theo’s neck where Derek has tucked his face against.

“No?” Theo tries, knowing that Derek will hear the lie.

Derek pulls back with a sigh, giving Theo an unimpressed look, “Where?”

“Just my back and stomach,” Theo tells him, “but I’m just a little sore. It’s no big deal. It’s already healing. I probably just need a warm shower and to not move for a while.”

“I’ll give you a massage.”

Theo stares at him, sure he heard Derek wrong, “What?”

“I’ll give you a massage,” Derek repeats again, “it might help.”

Theo doesn’t point out that Derek pressing on the bruised skin probably won’t work. Derek looks determined and Theo knows by now there’s no arguing with Derek when he has that look on his face. So Theo just nods, “Fine. I’ll go change into something more comfortable.”

“Leave your shirt off!” Derek calls after him.

Theo all but runs the rest of the way to his room, quickly closing the door behind him and leaning against it. Once he’s taken a moment to compose himself he puts on a pair of loose sweats and discards his shirt. He looks in the mirror, happy to see the bruises are already beginning to fade. He hears a knock and then the door is cracking open.

“Bastards,” Derek mutters, eyes dark as he looks at Theo’s back. He steps into the room and closes the door. “On your stomach on the bed.”

“Bossy,” Theo rolls his eyes but makes his way towards the bed.

He lets out a startled yell when something snaps against his ass, looking back to see Derek smirking at him, a towel in his hand. “I’ll show you bossy. Now get on the bed Theo.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Theo tells him, crawling onto the bed and onto his stomach. He looks over his shoulder at Derek once he’s settled to see the Alpha watching him, “I know the view is great but I believe you said something about a massage.”

“I’m starting to rethink it,” Derek says, but he walks towards the bed, crawling onto it until he’s on his knees beside Theo.

“Yeah it really looks like you are,” Theo says, earning a pinch to his thigh from Derek.

Derek just grins at him and holds up a bottle before moving until he’s straddling Theo’s thighs. Theo listens as he flips open the cap and most likely pours some onto his fingers. He throws the bottle aside and Theo can hear him rubbing his hands together and spreading the liquid between them. The first touch to his skin is a lot cooler than he expected and has him hissing and tensing a bit. Derek leans down, his hot breath fanning across his face as he whispers, “Relax. Let me take care of you.”

Theo feels his body relaxing without another thought, the tension he’s been feeling for months giving way under Derek’s fingers. Everything falls away, the only thing he can focus on is the way Derek’s hands work over his skin.

“You’re so good to me,” Theo mumbles, his voice muffled slightly by his arm where he’s resting his head.

The hands still before moving up Theo’s body to his shoulders. They start kneading the muscles there as Derek leans down close, running his nose across Theo’s cheek, “You deserve good things Theo.”

“Are you a good thing?” Theo asks, brow furrowing a bit at his question. What is he even asking?

Derek chuckles, placing a kiss to his cheek, “I can be your good thing.”

Theo’s head is still feeling a little fuzzy. Derek being so close and his hands still massaging his skin aren’t helping to clear his head. He’s feeling more calm and relaxed than he can ever remember feeling. He blames that for the words that keep spilling from his mouth.

“I want you to be. And I want to be your good thing. Because you deserve good things too. Great things. You deserve the world Der.”

“I don’t want the world,” Derek tells him, his expression soft and fond as he gazes down at Theo, “I just want you. And you are a good thing Theo.”

Theo brings a hand up to Derek’s cheek, letting his fingers brush through his beard. Derek sighs and leans into the couch. All Theo can do is watching fascination. Over the 6 months that he’s known Derek he’s seen him be hard and vicious when he needed to be. But when they’re alone he sees a side to Derek that he rarely shows the rest of the world. One where he wears glasses and soft sweaters and softer smiles. It still amazes Theo whenever he has one of those smiles directed at him. Now he understands why.

“I love you,” Theo breathes, watching the way Derek’s eyes widen at the words.

Theo’s a little worried when Derek rolls off of him, afraid that maybe he crossed a line. But then Derek is there, pushing at Theo until he rolls over onto his back and then he’s straddling him again. He takes Theo’s face in his hands, thumbs stroking reverently across his cheekbones.

“I love you too, Theo Raeken,” Derek murmurs, “So much.”

Theo’s not the least bit surprised when Derek kisses him and his lips move softly against Theo’s. Almost everything Derek does when it comes to Theo is soft. Except for one thing that is resting against Theo’s hip but neither one seem too worried about right now. There will be time for that later.

“Are you feeling any better,” Derek asks, nuzzling into his neck.

Theo lets out a disbelieving laugh, “Derek there is no way I couldn’t possibly be feeling better right now. Even if you didn’t have magic fingers the past few minutes would have made me forget all about any pain I might have been feeling.”

“Are you in pain?”

“No,” Theo sighs, “I’m not in pain. I’m… I’m happy Der.”

Derek pulls back to look at him, his eyes alight with the happiness Theo knows must be clear on his own face, “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy Theo.”

“So do you,” Theo tells him.

“I am happy,” Derek says, “I have a good life. I have you. There isn’t anything else I could possibly want.”

“Me either,” Theo sighs, tucking his face into Derek’s neck. He takes a deep breath, letting Derek’s scent wash over him. It’s the first time he’s allowed himself to do it. Sure, he knows what Derek smells like. It’d be impossible not to, his scent is all over the house. But this is the first time he’s let himself really take it in, especially this close. Derek smells of paper and cinnamon and like _home_.

“Can we just stay like this?” Theo asks, nuzzling further into Derek’s neck.

“Nothing is going to drag me out of this bed,” Derek tells him, “if there’s an emergency they’re all on their own because I’m staying here with you.”

Theo smiles against his skin. He knows that’s not true. They’d both be out of bed in an instant if the pack needed them, but it’s still a nice thought. For now at least they don’t have anywhere to be. There aren’t any emergencies. The only thing that exists is the two of them. So Theo lets Derek pull the covers over them and settles himself close to Derek. He lets himself drift off into a thankfully dreamless sleep, feeling safe and content in Derek’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day.  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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